Promises
by brownies.strawberry
Summary: Mikan and Natsume promise to grow up together when something unexpected happens.  One-shot. PLEASE R&R!


**Disclaimer: I own Gakuen Alice as much as I de-virginized Natsume Hyuuga.**

**Status: Edited and proofread.**

**Please do review!**

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**Natsume's POV**

"Ne, Natsume." Mikan said, smiling brightly. We were sitting under the sakura tree, just like any other day.

"Hn." I said plainly, to piss her off. She was just so cute whenever she got annoyed at me.

She whacked my arm playfully. "Do you already know what you want to be when you graduate?"

"I'm gonna work at the family's company of course, baka."

"Ah." she said, sounding a bit disappointed.

"Why, what's wrong?" I said, suddenly concerned.

"Nothing. It just feels sad; everyone else has something to do when they graduate."

"Don't feel that way, Mikan. I promise, when I think of something good before you do, I'll let you know." I said, smiling sincerely at Mikan.

"Before we graduate, okay?" Mikan said, looking at me with those big, innocent eyes.

"Hn." I said, and Mikan hugged me.

**End of POV**

**_The next day…_**

"Oh no, first period is Biology and we have a long test!" Anna said, panicking.

Everyone realized and started to panic—except, of course, for Hotaru and Natsume.

"Well, we still have 5 minutes to cram!" A few said.

_BAM!_

The door burst open, and Mikan came in, panting. She looked at the clock, and said, "Whew, I thought I was going to be late!"

Natsume smirked, good thing Mikan didn't notice.

"MIKAN! Teach me how mitosis works!" Nonoko said, running to Mikan.

Everybody else crowded around Mikan—she was third in the batch ranking and the smartest one willing to teach, since Natsume and Hotaru would rather stick pins in their eyes than help.

"Wait, wait!" Mikan said, making the class go silent.

"How will I be able to teach all of you?" She said, bothered.

"Why don't you teach all at once? You can use the board." Yuu suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Uh, okay, I'll try" Mikan said, and proceeded to draw on the board.

After the quiz, everyone thanked Mikan and told her how good she was, making everyone's grades go up. When Mikan was teaching the class earlier, Natsume was sleeping and Hotaru was polishing her baka gun.

**_A year later…_**

**Natsume's POV**

I was in the hospital room, with all sorts of tubes and machines attached to me. I told everyone to go outside, everyone except for Mikan.

"Natsume..." She said, gripping my free hand with both of hers.

I opened my eyes and locked my eyes with hers. Tears welled up in her beautiful brown eyes.

"Thank you, Mikan."

"For what? I'm the one who should thank you...N-Natsume... Please d-don-n't go...Don't leave me…" She trailed off, tears falling from her normally smiling eyes.

"Baka, you know I can't do that. As much as I want to stay here and protect you, be with you, and grow up with you..." I said, trying desperately to smile. I had to smile for her, no matter what. "I can't live longer. My alice has been used to a high extent and it shortened my life span greatly. The explosion of the bomb would've killed me if Naru didn't use a barrier alice on me." I couldn't cry, even if I wanted to so badly. I couldn't cry—it was for Mikan.

I remembered fighting the AAO a few hours ago. It was a mission to kill Reo, and we were successful. Mikan was the only one keeping me from dying right then and there. Her smile kept appearing in my mind, even as the bomb blew up, nearly killing me.

I remembered all our memories together—the times Mikan and I were happy. I remembered a year ago under the sakura tree, when I promised to answer her question when I could. Then I remembered the time she taught everyone for the biology test.

"Mikan," I said with a small smile.

"What, do you need anything?" She said, still sobbing, never letting go of my hand.

"No, baka. I just remembered..."

"W-what?"

"You should be a teacher after you graduate."

She was bawling now.

"I don't want to leave you, Natsume. You can't leave me, either! You promised me that we would grow up together, no matter what." She paused several times in between her words to sob.

"I know, but nobody can do anything about it; I can't stay any longer. I don't want to leave you, Mikan. We both know that." I said, successful in containing my tears again.

She was still sobbing.

"But I have three last wishes." I said

"Hm? What are they?" She said, now suppressing her loud sobs.

"That you will stop crying, smile, and move on with a happy life when you graduate." I said, smiling weakly at her. The thought of her with someone else hurt me, but someone had to make her smile again.

She was now smiling while crying, but I knew she was just smiling for my sake.

"I promise. I will do as you wish." She said, trying really hard to stop the tears.

I smiled at her.

"I love you, Natsume, more than anything in the world."

She said, crying again. I pulled her down for a hug.

"Shh..." I said, caressing her cheek and wiping the tears off her face. "I love you too, more than how you love me."

I pulled her down and kissed her for the last time. I motioned for her to sit down on the chair beside the bed, my hand still in hers.

The last thing I saw before I saw the white light that engulfed me was Mikan trying to smile for me, this time without the tears.

**End of POV**

**_Exactly 2 years after that..._**

**Mikan's POV**

"Class dismissed!" I said, smiling at the class and taking my things with me. I went out the room and saw someone waiting for me—my fiancé.

"Mikan, let's go now?" Ruka asked, taking my things.

I held his hand and he squeezed it.

"Sure." I said, smiling.

We went in the car and he drove with me riding shotgun. I fell asleep since it was silent.

"Mikan, we're here, wake up." Someone said, shaking me lightly.

I opened my eyes and saw Ruka. I dreamt of Natsume just moments ago.

I got out of the car and Ruka held my hand as we walked to a burial shrine.

Ruka placed the bouquet of red and white flowers he was holding on Natsume's slab. I knelt down in front of it, and tears started to well up in my eyes. It had been two years, and I tried my best to live happily. I'm happy now—I have Ruka, a job I want, and loving friends that are always there for me.

"Natsume, wherever you are, I hope you're happy. I'm happy. And I'm happy because of you." I said, blinking back the tears and smiling.

Ruka sat beside me and put his arm around me. I laid my head against his shoulder.

"Natsume, I still remember you teasing Mikan and telling me you'd never care for a baka like her... And see now? We're here because of you." Ruka said, chuckling.

I giggled. "Natsume, I hope you were here. Ruka was very sad because you left him. But we have each other for comfort, now. Two years, and we still miss you."

"And we will, forever and always. We love you, Natsume! I kept my promise to you, too." Ruka said, smiling at me.

**END OF POV**

They stood up and playfully waved goodbye to Natsume.

Mikan and Ruka would be married tomorrow. This was Ruka's promise to Natsume, to make Mikan happy. And true enough, Ruka and Mikan were now very happy to have each other.

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Oh and since it's Christmas break, HAPPY HOLIDAYS! :)


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